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Game Master Guidelines
Chandar City is a system agnostic environment that can be adapted for use in any fantasy role playing game (RPG). As such, some explanation of Non-Player Character (NPC) stat blocks is in order. Using the following guidelines, you will be able to convert these into the game mechanics of your favourite game system. Keep in mind, however, if you wish to change anything, go ahead! = General Attributes = It isn’t necessary to give each NPC residing in Chandar complete attributes such as Power, Luck, Wisdom, and so forth. However, should you choose to do so you will be able to glean these in the character descriptions by looking for key phrases such as “very strong,” “swift,” “dumber than the average rock,” “beautiful,” etc. With a little imagination, you should be able to come up with a fairly accurate set of statistics for the person in question. = Fighting Prowess = At some point, your players will probably get into fights with NPCs, with that in mind, we have provided a six-level coding system to describe how well a particular resident of Chandar can fight. In some cases, the combat ability of an NPC is given in terms of a specific weapon or weapons (e.g. Herald Forkbeard is “very good” with a battle ax or long sword, but only “average” with anything else). In other cases, the fighting prowess is overall (e.g. Denny the Piper is “fair” with any weapon). These are the codes for fighting prowess: * POOR. 'Unfamiliar with combat arts; can be easily wounded or killed. * '''AVERAGE. '''A run-of-the-mill type, but certainly no hero. * '''FAIR. '''Better than average and will acquit themselves adequately. * '''GOOD. '''Can go one-on-one with seasoned fighters. * '''VERY GOOD. '''This person can cause a lot of trouble in combat! * '''EXCELLENT. '''If blood is spilled, it’s not likely to come from this character… * '*LEGENDARY. '''No body can match this person in combat, maybe a god, but no one else. *We know, we said six, but sometimes you need a category beyond excellent. = Magic Ability = To determine the expertise with which an NPC uses magic power, we have used a six-level system similar to that of of fighting prowess. This is listed in the NPC descriptions as “Magic Ability,” and will be followed by a listing of particular areas the magic-wielder might be competent in known as “The Eight M’s of Magic,” which will follow below. If an NPC has no Magic Ability listed, then none exists. The codes for Magic Ability are: * '''POOR. A hedge wizard or apprentice. Might very well turn himself into a frog. * AVERAGE. Competent, but hardly a world-shaker. Only a few spells at their command. * FAIR. A wider range of spells. Effective, but not powerful. * GOOD. Knows numerous spells in many categories, and is versatile in their use. * VERY GOOD. Knows powerful spells in most of the Eight M’s. Formidable. * EXCELLENT. Not a person to cross. Can easily command almost all the known spells, and might be able to turn the party into anchovy paste with a single gesture. Given the diversity of magic systems in fantasy gaming, it is impossible to assign specific spells or powers to any magic-using NPC. However, spells or powers can be broken down into categories of magic, regardless of what game system you use. Therefore, we have used the “8M’s System” to give game masters some idea of what type of magic a particular NPC might wield. The 8M’s of Magic * M1. COMBAT MAGIC. Any spell used primarily in an offensive/defensive manner in combat. * M2. CURATIVE MAGIC. '''Any spell used to heal wounds, cure diseases, stop poison damage, etc. * '''M3. CLAIRVOYANT MAGIC. '''Any spell used to detect things: secret doors, magic, hidden or trapped items, etc. * '''M4. CONVEYANCE MAGIC. '''Teleportation, levitation, flying, telekinesis spells, etc. * '''M5. COMMUNICATION MAGIC. Any spell used to communicate: telepathy, translation, hypnosis, magic reading spells, etc. * M6. CONSTRUCTION MAGIC. Any spell which uses matter or energy to “build,” e.g. wall spells, protective fields, stone-shaping spells, etc. * M7. CONCEALMENT MAGIC. '''Any spell which serves to hide or misdirect, e.g. invisibility, illusion, shape-shifting spells, etc. * '''M8. CONJURATION MAGIC. '''Any spell which produces a condition or entity, e.g. light spells, necromancy spells, weather control, demon-summoning spells, etc. Keep in mind that a character with Magic Ability need not always be a sorcerer. An NPC could possess certain magic abilities as a result of owning some device, some form of supernatural intervention, or a natural ability. = Locks = Light-fingered thieves and pilfering rouges are common-place in the worlds of fantasy. To help game masters deal with these types, we have used yet another code system to give you an idea of how hard given lock can be to open. These codes appear in descriptions when reference is made to a chest or similar locked item (e.g., “locked3,” which means the lock is “fair”), and on the maps themselves in reference to doors. The codes for locks are as follows: # '''POOR. An orphan with a hatpin could open this lock. # AVERAGE. '''A little tougher to jimmy; just adequate. # '''FAIR. '''Takes some effort to open. # '''GOOD. Particularly tough. Probably will require special tools to open. # VERY GOOD. Will take even a master thief a long time to open. # '''EXCELLENT. '''Could require magic or some kind of explosive to open easily – unless you have the key! = Monetary Guidelines = Prices are usually given in overall terms (i.e., “low,” “reasonable,” and “expensive”). You should use common sense regarding these terms; a reasonable price for a broadsword would be outrageous when applied to a single arrow. Where prices are actually listed, it is assumed that the common fantasy monetary system is in use: 10 copper pieces = 1 silver piece; 10 silver pieces = 1 gold piece; 10 silver pieces = 1 gold piece; a gold piece represents approximately $1 in U.S. currency. Obviously, you should alter these values to fit your own economic system = Time Frame = Chandar is on a standard 24-hour day as its time frame. If your world operates under a different system, alter the times given to fit. = Non-Human Races = Chandar City exists in a world full of non-humans and half-breeds. If it doesn’t fit into your campaign to have a dwarven messenger, simply make him a short human; if an orcish barkeep bothers you, make them a very ugly human instead. Feel free to adjust any NPCs race to suit yourself!Category:Game Master